genuinely green, at 700 metres altitude
Gouveia sits in the Serra da Estrela, and the town's ecological park doesn't let you forget it. The vegetation is Beira Serra through and through: oaks, chestnut trees, native plants growing without any concessions to ornamental gardening. This isn't an urban park with manicured flowerbeds.
The Parque Ecológico de Gouveia works as a transition zone between the town and the mountains. You enter from the residential area and within minutes the whole context shifts. The Mondego river rises close by, and the watershed makes itself felt in the humidity and the vegetation that follows the water lines.
It's a space designed for walking trails and environmental education, not entertainment. Come looking for attractions and you'll leave disappointed. Come to walk with your eyes on what's growing around you and you'll find an honest picture of what the Beira Alta interior looks like before you reach the Estrela plateau.
what you'll find
- native beira serra vegetation, no exotic species
- walking trails with ecological context
- visual and geographical connection to the serra da estrela
- the quiet of a small town with no tourist traffic
